Wolverhampton City Council's plans for a southern extension to the city's retail core have been thrown into some disarray by a local landowner, which has submitted its own planning application for a shopping centre.
Local developer and build-ing contractor William Kend-rick & Sons has joined forces with London-based developer Liberty Land to draw up plans for a comprehensive redevelopment of the Cleveland Street/Temple Street area.
The developer has spent three years buying up sites in the area, but fears that the council, and its consultant Drivers Jonas, is trying to promote a rival development.
The Liberty/Kendrick proposal consists of 475,000 sq ft (45,000 sq m) of retail floorspace, anchored by a department store, 200 residential units, 40,000 sq ft (3,715 sq m) of office/commercial space and 40,000 sq ft of leisure space.
Kendrick group managing director William Kendrick said that, unlike the council, his company now has a controlling interest in the site.
However, he said that the council's strategy will rely on the use of compul-sory purchase powers, which could lead to the scheme being delayed for many years.
He added that if planning consent for the scheme was granted by the end of this year, construction work could begin next year, with completion in 2006/2007.
David Thompson, a partner at Rowley Hughes Thompson, the company that is advising the scheme, said: 'The scheme proposed by Kendrick Liberty will offer retailers much-needed, larger shop units that are presently not available in the city centre, to meet the growing requirements of many major multiple retailers.'
No comments yet